London Eye 25 million celebration

Reading above article I took a browse through the original 'The Essential Guide' I bought on my first 'flight' on the eye in 2000.
Bit of fun trying to spot the changes in the London skyline in the last 7 years.
No Gherkin, City Hall, Tabard Tower or Millennium Bridge in the 2000 brochure, although you can see the first section of the bridge if you look closely. And the Imax has it's original livery.
Wonder what changes the brochure photos in 7 years time will have!
The Elephant & Castle will be gone for one.

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I was one of the first people ever to book on the Eye (before it had even opened). The office for bookings had hardly opened, there was one girl on one phone line, and I rang up and booked a whole pod for my 60th birthday, six months ahead. She was quite surprised that anyone would bother! Who could have known it would become such an institution...although I aways cheered it on from its inception, unlike the horrible Dome which I scorned from the second it was thought of. Seems I'm a bit of a Joe Public. Anyway, well done the Eye.

Did you know there is a fabulous little bar/conference space at the top of guys hospital? Poor man's london eye cos you can sneak up in the lifts for free and check out the view. Not always open but you can still have a peak from the lift lobby area. I prefer the view from there as you are closer in to the city skyscraper island and you have all the train lines into london bridge in more close up as well.